Norfolk blues singer Jackie Scott is currently recovering from surgery.

Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press

Rob Ostermaier / Daily Press

Sam McDonald

Organizers of the Hampton Block Party have made a change to the entertainment for Saturday's season launch. Blues singer Jackie Scott has been replaced by Blues Empacts, Mojo Collins and Herbie D and the Dangermen.

Scott had to reschedule her performance because she is recovering from surgery.

"I was so looking forward to playing the block party but have since re-scheduled for July 27th," she wrote in a Facebook message. "Surgery went well and I'm slowly gaining my strength back. I'm working on songs for a new CD and this experience will surely spring a new song or two! I don't watch television so music has been a great help in keeping my spirits up and feeling good. All the well wishes and prayers that I've received reminded me of how blessed I am to have such great friends and fans rooting for my recovery. In the words of Arnold ... I'll be back!"

Here's the rest of the Block Party schedule, announced this week. Descriptions come courtesy of Peter Pittman of the Hampton Taphouse. Pittman is part of the team of downtown business owners who have assumed management of the series.

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May 4

Blues Block Party with Mojo Collins, Herbie D and the Dangermen, and The Blues Empacts

Mojo Collins has had a 45-year career traveling, playing guitar and singing. It’s blues to rock with a steady guitar driven sound. Herbie D and the Dangermen and The Blues Empacts both call Hampton home. They are no strangers to the area blues scene and share that party spirit when performing.

The Hampton Block Party tradition is safe for another year. Consistently one of the highest draws season after season with their super soul laden sound. Motown to Classic rock, it’s always impressive. Don’t forget your lawn chair!

William Walter closes this show with his clarion voice and “looping” acoustic riffs that have made him one of the busiest men in the biz. He is traveling with Tucker Rogers, multi-instrumentalist and long term collaborator. Voted “Best of Charlottesville” two years running.

The local Americana consortium Longfellow Street Music Collective led by vocalist Mallory McKendry and husband Trey Andrews open the night. They recently won Veer Magazines Hampton Roads Best American Band 2013 They are known to tap local standout musicians of all disciplines to help weave a worldly sound around their original songs. Also appearing is Norfolks Nate Sacks for a solo acoustic set.

May 25

Duffy Kane (Baltimore) with guests The Pawn Shop Lifters

Duffy played festivals and on stages with blues greats such as Johnny Winter, Big Jack Johnson, Tino Gonzales, Sonny Rhodes, and toured with the Nighthawks. This Nashvillian via Baltimore has been labeled “The best Texas Blues guitar player since Stevie Ray Vaughan”.

Opening the night is Hampton Roads own Pawn Shop Lifters with their hard driving energetic originals and off center covers. Voted best rockabilly and roots act locally and most recent recipients of “2013 Best Album of the Year Award” from Veer.

Gina Dalmas and her Cow Tipping Playboys with guests Andy Vaughan and the Driveline (RVa)

Richmond’s Andy Vaughn and his band open this night with their authentic honky tonk swing sound. They have the polish and chops that demands attention and have draw on traditional country and Texas border radio.

The feature act Gina Dalmas (pronounced gen-nuh doll-mus) and her Cow Tipping Playboys have been awarded “Best Country Act” in both 2012 and 2012 and won the MEONA “Best Alt Country” in 2009. This hot front woman draws a great crowd from all ages and lifestyles. They are very fun to watch and above all deliver a very high quality of musicianship and sound.

June 15

Seth Stainback and Roosterfoot with guest Tall Tall Trees (Brooklyn)

Texas-born Seth Stainback is going places and getting there fast. With quick debut he was sharing stages with the likes of Anders Osborne, Bob Seger, Sons of Bill, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He would be considered “The Most Likely to Succeed” performer in our area right now. If anybody can break out and make it big its this guy. He has the charisma, the songs, and the soulful voice to do it. Sounding somewhere between the blue-eyed soul/blues singers of an earlier times to today’s contemporary hit makers.

Tall Tall Trees traveling from Brooklyn opens the show with an innovative sound of tech-driven banjo liken to Danny Barnes. Fans have dubbed it “space banjo" or “banjotron” as Mike Savino runs his instrument through a slab of effects and multi-track loops. It is mystifyingly entertaining.

June 22

Hampton Bluegrass Festival – The Fin & Fiddle

Town Mountain (Asheville), The Green Boys (RVa), Gallatin Canyon Band (C’ville), Evans Bend and more special guests to come!

This event could prove to be the highlight of the season with the growing line up of top-notch bluegrass acts. Headlining band Town Mountain has performed alongside Doc Watson, Jim Lauderdale, Steep Canyon Rangers, Larry Keel, David Grisman, and The Infamous Stringdusters. These guys play major festival dates coast to coast and in Europe. The other acts on the card all hail from Virginia. The handsome and talented The Green Boys give a traditional performance with a young and vibrant spin. Super tight “family” harmonies and picking styles are what earned them a spot at this year's Floyd Fest!

June 29

Buckroe Beach Reggae Block Party

Ajamu and the Kings In Transit with guests Beets Collective

Ajamu, also known as King Ajamu is a Grenadiancalypsonian. His music covers several Caribbean styles, including calypso, soca and reggae. He has held the title of Grenada Calypso Monarch for a record seven times in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995 and 2004. In 1998, he was appointed as a Member of The Order of the British Empire. The Virginia-based Beets Collective is to open the show with its hybrid reggae sound. Threads of prog and heavy rock grooves are sewn in to a classic reggae beat. They have built a strong local following with unique and crowd-pleasing sound.

July 6

Baby Baby, with Uglyography, Broken Mouth Annie, and Creek Don’t Rise

Catchy, fun, and totally chaotic, Atlanta’s Baby Baby attack their “fun rock” music with an enthusiastic flare that’s both raucous, funky, and free spirited. Reminiscent of the band Fishbone they tour colleges and clubs throughout the southeast and they make their Virginia debut at Hampton Block Party.

The other acts are all locally based. Uglyography gets a huge amount of press and have built a strong fan base with their “quirk rock” sound. Broken Mouth Annie describes its musical genre as “Kind of an Americana and alt-country meets grunge meets lots of PBR sort of thing.” And newcomers Creek Don’t Rise bring an aggressive, driving sound and slightly experimental element to the mix.

July 13

The Usual Suspects with If Birds Could Fly

When you go to see The Usual Suspects you go to a party. They are a fun loving bunch of veteran Tidewater musicians. Crafty and obscure jump blues covers, to heartfelt ballads, to an occasional Jimmy Buffett song, this band rolls through tune after tune. Spanning generations of fans and tastes with their big horn, soul-driven sound and their just plain “we are having a good time” vibe.

When you first see and hear Brittany Ashley Carter and husband Andrew of If Birds Could Fly you can’t help but to think “these two should be famous”. Andrew gets his birthright talent honestly for his great aunt is Mother Maybelle Carter, matriarch of the famous Carter Family. Brittany’s voice is haunting, powerful, and distinctively original. A real show-stopper. Fresh from SXSW they are touring the US extensively, have recently been on national television with Dolly Parton, and are on and off tour with Wiley Ray Hubbard.

July 20

The William Walter Band with guests Quimby Mountain Band

William Walter played 239 live shows last year, entertaining internationally from the UK to South Africa. Four albums of original material and a trick bag of classic covers William has been wowing festival audiences and venues all while making friends and fans along the way. He was voted “Best Emerging Artist” by Floyd Fest in 2009.

Quimby Mountain Band comes our way via Hackettstown, NJ. Their jam style rock is easy to get drawn in and groove to and is what has made them popular in college town venues and festivals throughout the northeast.

July 27

Jackie Scott and the Housewreckers with Eddie Shaw and the Blues Camp Foundation's Blues Kids Concert

Hampton Roads own blues diva is no stranger to festival stages. Playing major blues events from Chicago to way down south, it’s an amazing act. Her friend Eddie will be down from Chicago helping host the Blues Camp. Alligator Record’s 76-year-old Eddie Shaw is one of the last great American bluesman. Playing in the bands of Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, and for decades Howlin Wolf. This show is the camp’s final performance and the crowd will be treated to an amazing show by some of the kids involved.

August 3

Molly Sue Gonzales and the Mean Mean Men with guests Loves It

Opening the night is Austin based Loves It features Jenny Parrott, one part of touring Americana act Shotgun Party. This acoustic duo has real charm, energy, and harmonies. Besides inventive songwriting that travels between folk and indie pop, each is a multi-instrumentalist. Live shows include guitars, claw hammer banjo, mandolin, fiddle and heartfelt singing.

The hottest rockabilly act in Nashville right now is Molly Sue and her band The Mean Mean Men. It’s vintage and way, way hip. Molly growling voice is somewhere between Wanda Jackson and Patsy Cline -- big and raucous. The Mean Mean Men is a hand-picked crew of Nashville’s best players and, together with that gal, they swing the cat! They play a mix of favorite rockers peppered with Molly’s original songs.

August 10

Izzy and the Catastrophics with Special Guest

Izzy is on a mission of perpetual tour. He has quite a pedigree being a part of many great national acts and now he and The Catastrophics are rolling the miles of America and building their own legacy. Izzy is one of the best guitar players in the underground roots scene. If you had to put him in a boat it would be with better-known Rev. Horton Heat and Brian Setzer. It’s rock and roll with a shot of rockabilly and a twist of country. Highly animated, packed full of energy, and an overall crowd pleaser.

August 17

Yarn with Special Guest

New York’s Yarn has been featured on CNN and touts a Grammy nominee and have played major festivals in most of our states! Their hardcore fans, know as “The Yarmy,” travel to see them much like the followers of Phish, Widespread Panic, and the Dead. It’s straight jam-band rock, string-driven and deeply directed folk core music. Their live show is captivating and filled with musical twists and turns. You can tell they love what they are doing and that love reflects back to the dancing, mesmerized audience. Also the band records each live show and allows fans to download those performances for free. Always an uplifting performance with a feel-good vibe.

August 24

Slapwater

August 31st

Heather Edwards Band with Special Guest

Another block party tradition and great performer. Heather brings her band back to the Block Party stage for a night of rocking country music. From old classics to contemporary radio hits, Heather and her band are note for note. Summed up as one of our areas premier country cover bands.